Non-US PhD in STEM - US career?

[A'n'L 735]

Hi,

Is there anyone who'd like to share their experience/career path after moving to the US with a PhD in STEM?

I have all my education and research experience from Europe, but have of course worked with international partners through the years. Optimally, I'm hoping to find a post doc or research position to further my advancement in research within my field, but I'm afraid it will be hard to break into it when I'm unfamiliar with the US academic system.

Please share your own or second-hand stories :-)

[charmander 692]

I am assuming you are looking for a position in academia, right? This could turn into a very long conversation but in short you won't have to get familiar with US academic system if you are looking for a research position. You have to find a position first and then just do your research. Sometimes you will be asked to mentor other graduate students in that group, sometimes cover classes for your boss but mostly you will be doing your own research. If you could eventually become a full-time faculty, then you will be asked to teach classes, which will require getting familiarizing with teaching system in US but shouldn't be a problem.

There are so many PhDs that obtained their degrees from European Institutions and successfully become professors in US as well after a post-doc. At the same time a lot of people use a post-doc position as a stepping stone to get a full-time position in industry, where the compensation opportunities are endless. Because of the saturation in number of PhDs in the recent years, it is very very difficult to get a full-time faculty position in the US. Most of the PhDs do post-docs for several years with terrible pay, and the ones in the applied fields transition to industrial positions. You could also apply for an industrial position right now but most US employers won't recognize your European Institution unless it is one of the top-notch well-known schools. However once you add a US institution to your resume, then it would be easier to get a position, therefore starting your career with a post-doc is not a bad idea.

[A'n'L 735]

Thanks so much for your time and reply.

I guess what I meant by "system" was more about how position funding us obtained, and the official and (more importantly) unofficial ways to getting your first position (post doc). Like, some basic insight into what % of positions are publicly announced, go to previous PhD's from the group, are custom designed for a specific person (and thus unobtainable by an outsider) etc etc... Was hoping to hear some experiences like "got first job by a) applying to a position advertised b) through connections/networking c) contacted supervisor with a project proposal... "

Are personal connections positive or frowned upon? My future FIL is a professor in a field closely related to mine, how would other research groups view a young researcher introduced to them by her immediate family?

[charmander 692]

All your a, b, and c are possible. Because it is a temporary position people wouldn't care about hiring immediate relatives, when the time comes to full time positions things could get complicated. there are many professors who negotiate positions for their spouses, and if it doesn't work they reject the offers. Both if one of the spouses is stellar, he/she could negotiate a position for the other spouse too. Two body problem is very very common in academia.

Btw 100% of all positions have to be announced due to equal opportunity laws. But whether a candidate is already decided is hard to know. Conferences are great ways for networking and asking professors if they are looking for a postdoc in their group. people are always looking for strong candidates, if your CV and publication list is strong, it won't take long to land a post-doc.

[TabeaK 517]

Hi, I am a European STEM level PhD - undergrad & grad from Germany, PhD from UK. While not in academia, maybe I can help a little.

I see you just got your K1 - congrats on that and good luck with the move. You probably know it will take 3 months minimum after filing AOS to get your work permit, right? So the first few months in the US you can focus on getting settled and networking. Networking really is key. Make sure your LinkedIn is up to date and you have an US style resume/CV ready to go. If you are after academic positions, a CV is the way to go.

I am in pharma/biotech and have been for years, but I see a ton of Post-Doc positions advertised all the time - I am in the Greater NYC area. I am currently job hunting myself - in industry. I just got my EAD & Green card, in my case it took pretty much 3 months from filing the paperwork. I have been searching for just under 2 months now - you need to be patient in the beginning, but things will pick up. I am actively interviewing right now and so far my experience has been positive. Having a European degree is no problem - no one has even asked me about it. Job experience and transferrable skills are definitely more important.

If you have a (future) family member who can introduce you to peers in your field - use it! Use any leg up and networking opportunity you can get, no one will hold that against you in the slightest. If you are shooting for Post-Docs I would start networking with the researchers in your field now. Bureaucracy and slow timelines are just as bad as in Europe - I thought stuff in the US would move faster but I was sadly mistaken...

[A'n'L 735]

Hi TabeaK, thanks so much for your insights! This was exactly the type of reply I was hoping for :-) Importance of networking and the need for patience was what I was expecting, but really wanted it confirmed :-)

I'm aware of the 3 months+, and have some things lined up to do before that. I've given myself a 1 year timeframe to land the first "proper" US job.

It's also really nice to see that I'm not the only STEM career holder that chose to move for love rather than work.

Thanks again and good luck on your own job hunt!